Imaginary Sweetness
by Trollala.X
Summary: "Just go away! You're just a figment of my imagination!" He grinned wickedly, eyes shining in the moonlight. "Am I really?" Rated T for suggested themes in the future. Nalu.
1. Hello Stranger

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima (unfortunately). Also, the cover belongs to AyuMichi-me.**

* * *

"Hey, did you hear?

"No. What's happening?"

"I heard that her mother died a few days ago. Heard she got cancer and couldn't make it."

The whispers of her classmates made her want to crawl into a hole and just _die_. They would never understand what she was feeling. They would never understand how it felt like to lose a dear one. They would _never_ understand what it felt like to be ignored by their own father who locks himself up in his room to deal with business deals and negotiations.

It _hurt_. All she could feel was a burning in her chest as if somebody had just taken a knife and stabbed her repeatedly into her heart and had taken something important from her. A huge part of her was missing, and there was nobody to comfort her from all this pain.

She swallowed down a sob that crept up her throat. Covering her eyes with her hands, she placed her head against the desk, hoping that the cool wood would help her calm down.

It wasn't fair. It just wasn't _fair_. Why did _she_ have to endure all this pain? Why couldn't it be someone else? Anyone other than her. She didn't ask for this cruelty. So why did the world show no mercy to poor five year old girl?

The bell rang throughout the elementary school. Lucy cringed when she heard the shuffling of feet of all the kids in her class entering the room to start the day.

 _'I can't do this! I can't do this! I CAN'T DO THIS!'_

Lifting her head back up and wiping her semi wet hands against her school skirt, she willed herself to remain calm, to keep a front until she was away from everybody else and locked in her room.

She could see children sneaking peeks at her direction, probably noticing her slightly puffy eyes and red nose. Taking deep breaths, she slowly calmed her nerves and relaxed her body.

Once everybody was seated, Lucy's teacher walked to the front of the classroom and called attendance in alphabetical order.

She would get through this day. She won't shed a tear in front of all these people. She'll pretend that her mother's death wasn't bothering her. She'll pretend that she doesn't have this constant burning sensation in her chest where her heart is.

She'll just pretend that nothing ever happened at all. Only until she's sure that no one was watching.

"Okay class! Today we're going to learn how to add!"

* * *

"Why are you sitting alone?"

Lifting her head up from her hands, she stared up to see a man. He was definitely older than her. He looked mature, yet he had some boyish features that reminded her of the boys in her grade.

"Why are you talking to me?" she retorted, not taking any consideration about her rudeness. Staring right into his onyx eyes, many thoughts rushed through her head in almost super sonic speed.

 _'Why would he talk to a five year old kid when he himself is like eighteen?'_

 _'He's such a creep. If he touches me, I'll scream rape.'_

The only thought that stood out the most was also the most amusing to the young blonde.

 _'Why's his hair pink?'_

The pink hair made the stranger in front of her seem less like a threat and more of a boy in her grade. The wind picked up, and she saw his white scaly scarf blow with it, waving calmly like the waves on a beach that she used to go to with her parents before her mother's death.

He had a slight tan, probably from hours out in the sun playing whatever games boys (who always had cooties. Girl Rule #1: Never touch a boy or you'll get a disease) play.

"You just seemed lonely sitting here. All the other kids are playing while you're here sulking," the stranger replied to her question, pretending to not notice the blonde's glare, which was directed towards him.

He just smiled, revealing his perfectly white teeth and tilted his head, staring at the girl with laughing eyes. He shuffled closer to her, and slightly bent down.

"Mind if I sit next to you?"

"Yes I do."

His grin grew wider before standing straight up like before. He didn't budge; he just stood there like a statue, staring into her eyes as if he was trying to reach into the depths of her soul.

"You're very mature for a five year old," he simply stated after a few seconds of uncomfortable silence between them despite the shrieks from her classmates who were busy playing.

"I get that a lot," she muttered, but it seemed like he heard her because he just nodded as if agreeing with the people who have also called her mature.

Lucy stared down into her hands, which were neatly placed on her lap. She was wearing a longer skirt than usual for the slightly cool weather. She heard the crunching of leaves, so she looked up to see that the pink-haired man had sat down on the ground that was littered with dead leaves.

He folded his legs into a pretzel shape and just stared at her. Feeling slightly embarrassed, she tore her gaze away from him, trying to will the rising heat in her cheeks away.

"I'm Natsu by the way," he spoke, breaking the silence between them.

Scoffing, Lucy rolled her eyes before extending her hand as if she just made a deal with a huge business company, like her own father would do. He took the extended hand, which was tiny in comparison with his own tan ones.

Once they made skin contact, she couldn't help but notice the lack of warmth from the man's hand. Instead, she felt like she was only holding air, yet she could feel the solidity of his hand at the same time.

"Weird name," she simply stated. He raised a pink eyebrow, but he didn't let go of her hand. The longer Lucy held onto his hand, the more she could feel the heat from his hand warm her skin, and the blonde felt herself relax the slightest bit.

Though he was a stranger that she never met before, the blonde couldn't fight the feeling of being safe and secure around him. She hadn't felt this relaxed around someone before in a while.

It was…nice, if she had to admit. This feeling was nice.

Slowly pulling her hand away, she felt Natsu curl the tips of his fingers as if he wanted to keep on holding her. His arm was still in the air for a few seconds with his hand extended before dropping it to the ground.

Tearing away from his heated gaze, Lucy stared at her classmates having fun. Maybe she should go to them. She could use it as an excuse to stay away from the creep in front of her.

Even though he practically looked harmless, he could be this rapist who was waiting for her to trust him enough to tell him her name so that he could stalk her. She didn't exactly want to see this guy's face outside her window in the middle of the night.

She shuddered at the image. That would be really creepy.

The wind blew, and she felt the cool air sink into her skin and chill her bones. Rubbing her hands against her arms, she let her natural heat warm her.

Glancing back down, Natsu was still staring at her with those black eyes of his.

Getting tired with his continuous staring, she glared at him and stopped rubbing her arms.

"What's so interesting about my face?" she spat, folding her arms like a spoiled brat. Her cheeks puffed out and started to heat up when he suddenly started laughing at her. It took a while, but he seemed to realize that he was being disrespectful, so he cleared his throat before smiling at her.

"Everything's interesting about you, Lucy."

She stared at him in complete shock and amazement. She should have been scared at the moment, but for some reason, she felt as if she had known him for such a long time, that when he said her name, it felt _right_.

Squinting at him, she couldn't deny that his grin made her feel warm inside. She couldn't deny that his eyes caught her attention with how intense his gaze was, and she couldn't hide the fact that she felt cared for when he decided to sit with her, despite her rude comments.

He was just supposed to be a complete stranger with weird pink hair. However, she felt so safe around him. She _trusted_ him enough to not feel scared when he said her name, even though she never told him what it was.

The way it rolled off his tongue made it seem as if he had been saying that name for years before. Just…what was up with this guy?

"Who…?" she continued staring at him, and he at her with those same black onyx eyes. He was so familiar, yet so new. She knew what she felt when they shook hands. He wasn't really _there_ , yet at the same time, he _was_.

The blonde felt like she should just run up to the teacher and scream rape while she had the chance to get away from this guy. But…she didn't want to.

"What five year old thinks as much as you do?" Natsu joked, hands clenching the dead leaves on the ground around him. She was about to retaliate, but he beat her to it with another statement.

"Only you, Luce. Only you."

She couldn't help it. He wasn't normal. There was no _way_ he was normal. No. _No._

"Who _are_ you?"

* * *

"Why are you always here?"

Natsu glanced down at Lucy as she gently pushed the tips of her shoes against the dirt to move the swing she was sitting on. Once again, her class was out on a mini-trip to the park. The weather was getting colder each day, and she knew it wouldn't be long until winter arrives.

After her first meeting with Natsu, her teacher had taken her class out a total of five times the past month, and each time, Lucy would sit alone, away from the laughing children, and each time, Natsu would always come up to her and sit with her in silence.

It felt so natural, despite it only happening five times.

And during those times Lucy would sit alone, she and Natsu would talk more and more. He still called her by her name as if it wasn't creepy that he knew her name without the blonde herself telling him.

The girl blew out warm air from her lungs, resulting in a small cloud escaping from her lips. It was fun pretending to smoke like the adults. No wonder they always blew smoke rings.

While she was entertaining herself, Natsu walked to where her back was facing him and grabbed the cold chains that held the seat where the blonde was sitting on. At first startled, Lucy noticeably jumped, but relaxed when she realized that it was just him, though she still kept her guard up.

He could still be a rapist who was trying to get her to trust him enough to take advantage of her.

Pulling on the chains, Natsu lifted her up with her seat before letting go, allowing her to swing back and forth before she started to slow down. Not wanting that to happen, the pink-haired man pushed her lower back, earning a squeal of embarrassment from the girl before being rewarded with silent giggles.

Despite still being cautious around Natsu, she couldn't help but sometimes allow her barrier crumble and let him see that real five-year-old girl that had been hidden behind a mask for such a long time. It surprised her how easy it was to let her guard down around this man.

But…she still had her suspicions. Even now, she noticed how every time he pushed her lower back, she could only feel a faint touch, as if he wasn't actually pushing her. And she had noticed this before whenever they would shake each other's hands in greeting, or their fingers would accidentally touched whenever he would sit next to her on the bench.

But today she didn't sit on the usual bench, but sat on one of the swings in the park. Most of her classmates liked playing tag, so they barely paid attention to the swings. It was easy to get an empty seat, and not even five minutes had passed before the pink-haired boy arrived next to her.

After that, they only stayed there in silence, allowing the chirping of the birds to fill the space. Well, they did until Lucy decided to break the ice and ask a question that had been nagging her since their third meeting.

And she could tell that he had avoided her question. She didn't mind though because she was already used to his silence when it came to her questions.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Natsu stop her from swinging by grabbing the chains. About to ask him what happened, she started to spin in circles on the swing.

"Noooooooo, stop it!" she yelled weakly, but she couldn't stop the giggles that escaped through her lips. She heard him chuckle, and it was only a second after that did the spinning stopped.

Opening her eyes that she had shut as he spun her, she noticed how close his face was to her own. His hands held the chains on either side of her, arms trapping her.

He was so close, and she thought that with their proximity, she would be able to feel his heat, but instead, she felt nothing. That wasn't the only thing that surprised her either.

For some unknown reason, she had the urge to touch his face. His dark shining eyes pulling her in a trance as she tried to figure out why he was looking at her like that.

Without her permission, her hand let go of the chain and reached out to cup his cheek. She still couldn't feel his heat, but at the same time, she _could_. His face relaxed the moment her hand touched his face and he shut his eyes as he pressed against her tiny cold hand more.

"Why are you here?"

Natsu opened his eyes and stared into her own as he contemplated her question. After a few seconds, he simply smiled and pulled away, hands still holding onto the twisted chains.

"I'm here because you're here," he answered with a shrug, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, yet at the same time, not.

Tilting her head in confusion, Lucy tried to make sense at his answer. She couldn't quite grasp on to the meaning behind his words.

"I don't understand."

"You're too young to," the pink haired man replied with a roll of his eyes. Upon closer inspection, blonde saw that he was in a distant world at the moment. He didn't seem to be focusing on her anymore.

"What do you mean?" she asked, trying to get the man in front of her to explain his answer in other, much simpler, words.

"Nothing," was the last thing she heard before she felt her world start spinning again when Natsu let go of the chains. She tried to stop it, but her efforts were in vain. Stopping, she waited until the swing stopped spinning, expecting to see the strange man laughing at her "weirdness."

Once the swing stopped turning however, he was nowhere in sight.

Frowning, she looked around, trying to find traces of Natsu. Unfortunately, her teacher was already calling for all students to form a line to go back to the school.

Glancing one last time around the area, Lucy just shrugged and ran back towards the teacher.

The blonde couldn't help but feel scared.

Scared that that pink-haired man won't come back next time she did. Scared that she would have to feel alone again.

Scared that he had jusy abandoned her, just like the rest of the world did.

* * *

 **Ooookaaay, so i'm thinking about doing a mini-story with this, but then again, I might not. It depends on the amount of feedback I get. I know, it's bitchy of me, but reviews help me keep motivated, so if I get enough reviews, i'll most likely write another chapter! So, I hope you liked it, and though it was kinda boring, I promise there will be more Nalu in the future if I feel motivated enough to write another chapter.**

 **And just so you know, I made Natsu 18, so he's a big boy now. :) But don't worry, the age difference will be fixed soon. ;) And before you say, "isn't Lucy too mature for a five year old?", the answer is no. There are some kids out there that are younger and WAY more mature. Trust me, I was one of those kids. I could literally sit with adults who were in conversation and start talking to them like some adult. So yeah, Lucy is FINE.**

 **So, hope you liked it, and please review. It really helps me stay motivated. And sorry for any mistakes, I was in a rush. :D**


	2. Promise Me

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima, but don't fret because one day, _it will be mine!_**

 **Also, this chapter starts five years after last chapter. This means that Lucy is ten years old! Yay! Also, sorry for any mistakes! I was in a rush!**

* * *

"Look," the blonde whispered, finger pointing towards heaven. "The sky's open tonight."

Once again, Lucy had sneaked out of her house late at night to meet up with the strange pink-haired man. This time, she had arranged their meeting for that night in the park. It was the only place they could meet.

He was always reluctant to go to her house, even after she reassured that it was okay. He always said that he wasn't invited, which confused her because she had obviously asked him a few seconds before. She would just shrug it off though.

A weirdo will always be a weirdo.

She felt her right hand being squeezed, snapping her out of her daze. She slowly moved her head to smile at Natsu. Squeezing back, she couldn't help but notice that his hand was unusually warm. She was so used to it being cold, as if she was holding thin air.

Lately, however, she could feel more of his warmth every time she had the opportunity to stand close to him.

"Natsu," she breathed, staring back at the twinkling stars. He squeezed her hand again. Their fingers laced together, and she felt his thumb massage small circles on her hand. At that moment, she felt at home. Warmth swelled in her chest, and she couldn't help but let a few tears escape from her eyes.

Her free hand wiped the liquid away and brought her wet fingers to her lips. Her other hand was squeezed again, and she brought he hand back down to her side.

"Why do we exist, Natsu?" she asked, closing her eyes to focus on the gentle wind that was blowing against her. She could hear the faint rustling of leaves and imagined how it would be like to dance along with the wind.

"Every person has a purpose in life. Whether your purpose is to become one of the most influential person on the planet or just give birth to a child, it's important enough to make you exist," he explained, never turning away from the blonde's eyes. Her brows furrowed in confusion, not quite grasping his words.

"So what is your purpose?" she inquired, slightly tilting her head in innocent curiosity. Natsu's free hand reached over to touch her face, slowly tucking away a stray strip of blonde hair behind her ear. He warmly smiled at her, and she felt as if he was laughing at her with his eyes.

"You ask too much," he said, now grinning cheekily. Puffing out her cheeks, Lucy tore her hand away from his and folded her arms across her chest. His hand was still on her cheek, but she didn't bother pushing it away.

"Whatever."

Natsu chuckled at her. Pulling his hand away from her face, he lay back down in the ground to continue staring at the stars. His brows furrowed however after a few minutes of silence.

"Hey, teacup, what's wrong?"

Lucy lightly blushed at the nickname he had given her a few years ago. 'Teacup' was one of the many nicknames he had for her. Though they annoyed her beyond heck, she couldn't help feeling that warmth in her chest every time he called her by one of her nicknames.

She remembered the day he started calling her 'teacup'. It was back when she was seven years old, two years after they both met at the park. She had just recently learned the song "I'm a Little Teacup". She, of course, sang the song to him, which made him laugh at her. Though she felt hurt that he was making fun of her, he just smiled at her and ruffled her hair before asking her if she wanted to go to the swings.

The day after that, he had called her 'teacup', which irritated her, but she didn't say anything about it. It's not like she disliked the nickname anyway.

"Lucy…"

A warm hand pressed against her cheek, gently caressing her face in a way that made the blonde relax. She yawned when she felt a wave of sleepiness overcome her.

Letting his hand go, Lucy rubbed her eyes in an attempt to stay awake. Despite her attempts however, she couldn't deny her body's need to rest. Yet she wanted to stay with Natsu in the park staring at the stars all night. She didn't want to give up the time she was spending with the pink-haired boy for sleep.

While rubbing her eyes, she felt the male beside her move. Removing her hands from her eyes, she turned her head to see that he was already standing up. She looked up at him in confusion with her head tilted slightly and brows furrowed, creating barely noticeable wrinkles on her forehead.

"What's wrong?" she asked, hands resting on either side of her head. The wind picked up, blowing softly against the trees and causing the tail of his scarf to wave behind him.

Natsu offered her a small smile, stretching his hand out for her to take. Still slightly confused, the blonde girl took his hand and pulled herself up. Letting go of his now cold hand, she dusted her pants off, getting rid of grass and leaves that might have stuck to her clothes, as well as checking her hair for any stray twigs and grass. Once she was done, she lifted her head to see the pink-haired man staring at her.

Feeling slightly embarrassed (though she didn't know why), Lucy let her eyes stray to the side in an attempt to avoid his intense gaze. She saw him move from the corner of her eyes, causing her to quickly look at him, noticing that he had stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"You should go home and sleep," Natsu had already started to take some steps away from her, "It's pretty late, and you have school tomorrow."

His figure was slowly disappearing into the night as he walked away with his back towards her, but the blonde ran after him. She stumbled a few times from the roots of the trees or from twigs that were lying on the ground.

She breathed quickly, lungs burning from the lack of air that she was receiving. For a second, she thought about giving up, but she shook her head and continued running. She wondered how he was able to walk so far so quickly, but she guessed that she probably stood for too long staring at his back.

Once she was in reach, she jumped onto him, causing him to stumble and stop his steps. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, tightening her grip on his light jacket. Gritting her teeth, she pressed her tiny body against his tall one, hugging him around the waist to prevent him from escaping her grasp.

"Lucy?" the pink-haired boy asked, shock evident in his question. Never before had she hugged him in the five years they had known each other. Squeezing tighter, the blonde rubbed her face against his back to dry away the tears that were falling down her face.

Why did he feel so cold?

"Don't leave," she begged, legs threatening to give way, "Please…don't leave me alone."

She dropped to the floor, now hugging his legs in a desperate embrace, letting out sobs as waves of emotions washed over her, "I don't want to be lonely anymore! Please don't leave me like everybody else did!"

"I always have to watch your back as you walk away from me," her nails dug into his legs as she shook, "And I hate it. _I hate it_! It makes me feel like you won't come back the next day, and I get _scared_ because you're the only person who really cares about me."

She could slowly feel his warmth increase with each passing second.

"Please don't walk away from me. You're the only person alive who matters to me. So please, stay with me a little while longer."

Letting him go, Lucy wiped her face with her hands in a desperate attempt to dry her tears. She didn't notice Natsu turning towards her, and she didn't notice him crouching down to be at her level.

Smiling, he placed a hand on her head, making the blonde raise her head in surprise at the extreme warmth that he released from his hand. Her face was probably red, but he didn't seem to care.

He slowly slid his hand behind her head until it reached the back of her neck. He lightly pulled, causing Lucy to press her face against his shoulder. Petting her head, she felt herself relax in his embrace.

Slowly, she wrapped her arms around him, letting his warmth sink into her skin. Breathing in, she could smell his relaxing scent and feel his heartbeat on her cheek. He rocked back and forth, humming softly in rhythm with the rustling of leaves.

"I'm glad you're here," the blonde softly whispered. His arm around her tightened in response, and she noticed that he felt warmer than ever, almost like a normal human.

"I'm glad you're happy, Luce," he whispered back, face nuzzling into her hair. Pushing away slightly. The young girl looked up into his dark eyes, and she just realized how close their faces were.

"Promise me something," Lucy said, and he pressed their foreheads together.

"Anything."

"Promise me," she started, squeezing his arm, "That we will always be together. No matter what."

Smiling, Natsu pulled her in for another hug, face once again buried into her hair.

"I promise. No matter what."

* * *

"Look, look, look!"

The pink-haired man chuckled as the blonde girl in front of him jumped up and down in excitement.

"Calm down, Luce," he said, grinning at the sight of the happy girl, "Show me what you got."

Handing him the piece of paper in her hand, she eagerly waited for him to see what was written on it. It only took one second until he saw the red number at the top of the paper. With a grin beating hers, he ruffled her hair, earning a light-hearted giggle from Lucy.

"Look at you! Getting a perfect score on her story! You're gonna be a writer one day, Luce!"

Blushing, the blonde took the paper back and stuffed it in her backpack. When she stared back up again, she immediately became nervous. Slinging the strap of her bag onto her shoulders, she gently kicked the ground.

"Um, I was wondering if you… would like to come over to my house," she forced out, her nerves getting the best of her when he continued to stare at her, "O-Of course, only if you w-want to. I mean, it would be nice if y-you did."

The silence between them was getting to her nerves, and Lucy bit her lip so hard, she was surprised that her lower lip wasn't bleeding. It was agonizing for the young girl as she stood in front of her only friend.

"Sure," she heard him say, and she let herself let go of the breath she was holding in. Natsu stood up, causing her to crane her neck so that she can look at his face.

His skin was still as tan as ever, and he didn't seem older than he was five years before. Whatever he was doing to keep himself from aging, she would have to force it out of him to learn the secret herself.

Tilting her head to the side, she asked, "How old are you?"

He was already walking out of the park, forcing her to run up to him so that she could lead him to her house.

Once she was by his side, he spoke, "I'm seventeen."

She scrunched up her nose, creating small wrinkles on her face, "You're _old_."

Puffing out his cheeks, he stuffed his hands into his pant's pockets.

"Am not!"

"Are too," she giggled out, covering her mouth with her small hand. He glared down at her, face shadowed since he was facing away from the sun at that moment. Glaring back at him, Lucy couldn't help but notice that he had a different outfit than usually had. Instead of wearing a black leather jacket, he now wore a thick black hoodie with a dragon design on the front. His dark jeans had a small chain hanging against his leg, and he had a small piercing on his left ear.

"You look cool," she said, tearing her gaze from the male in front of her to see in which direction they were going. She heard him snort, and she could have sworn that he had rolled his eyes at her.

"I always look cool," he stated, running his hand through his pink hair in smugness. The young girl burst out laughing, and she knew that she had just hurt his poor ego. After laughing for a few seconds, having been forced to stop before she could trip, she wiped a few tears that had escaped.

"You wish," she joked, hand gripping the strap of her bag as they continued walking, "You just look cool _today_. I never said about the other days."

Groaning, Natsu looked skyward in frustration, "I could never beat you!"

"It's because I'm awesome," Lucy bragged, flipping her hair over her shoulder with her hand.

"You wish," she heard him mimic, earning a small kick to the shin from the blonde. He yelped and held onto his leg, hopping alongside her with his other leg. Rolling her eyes, she noticed that her house was only a few feet away.

Grabbing his hand, she dragged him with her as she hurriedly reached her steps. Once at the doorstep, she paused in fear.

What if she bored him minutes after they entered? She never had a friend over to her house, and Lucy felt nervous.

Natsu seemed to have noticed because he asked her if something was wrong. Snapping out of it, she scolded herself for thinking such things. This was _Natsu_ , for goodness sake! He never gets bored around her.

Plus, they could play hide-and-seek, considering that her house was large. With her confidence regained, the blonde took the door handle and opened the door.

As soon as the big door opened, a maid immediately walked up to her and took her bag from her back.

"Welcome back, Princess," the maid bowed a little, showing respect. Lucy shook her head and took her bag back. The maid looked up in confusion.

"It's okay, Virgo. And please, don't call me Princess," Lucy smiled and waited for Virgo to stop bowing, "Also, this is Natsu. He's a friend of mine."

The maid furrowed her brows in confusion and kept looking between the blonde and the boy she was pointing at, "Who?"

The girl's smile faltered, "Natsu. You know, the friend I've been talking about."

"Yes, I remember, but there's no-"

"Oh, okay! So you do remember him!" Lucy beamed again, now dragging the male along with her to her room upstairs, "I'll be in my room if you need anything!"

Virgo watched the young girl run up the stairs in confusion. She noticed that the young girl was holding onto something behind her, as if dragging it with her.

However, no matter how much she squinted, all she saw was empty air.

* * *

 **Soooo, did you like it? I know it was a huge time skip, but I really wanted Lucy to be older because then it would be easier for me to write her since she's more mature now that she's ten. Also, I'm so sorry if I took too long to update! I really tried to post a chapter last week, but I just recently moved, so life has been a little bit hectic. But anyway, now I'll respond to the reviews!**

 **owlcity2013 : Hehe, well I'll try my best in keeping you interested! I hope you like this chapter. **

**Sawakaze-Steph16 : Yeah, I've read a few as well, but I haven't seen so many. Maybe you can recommend me a few stories?**

 **ftx777x : Lol, I'm pretty sure that Mavis is an actual person, just that she's dead. But yes, imagination is a very powerful and scary thing...**

 **JenCakeLover : Really?! Oh, well I hope you like this chapter! I worked really hard on this one. Bashed my head a few times on my desk actually.**

 **Gaia Kame : Hehe, I'm sad to admit that it's none of that, but please don't go! There's going to be a lot of Nalu, if it makes you feel better! :)**

 **DIGIKO12 : Oh, please don't die! I don't want to be responsible of disposing your body! Hehe, well, I guess this chapter kinda ruined your hopes and dreams. I'm so sorry! T-T But I'm glad you liked the five year old Lucy! Do you like ten year old Lucy?**

 **CherryBlossomFire : Well, here's another chapter for you! :) **

**Anyway, that's that! I'm really so happy that so many people reviewed for the first chapter! It makes me so happy! Like seriously, tears of joy are running down my face. So, I hope you guys like this chapter, and please review! It would mean a lot to me, and it helps me feel motivated to write knowing what people think about the story. Also, thank you to everybody who favorited and followed this story! It also means a lot to me!** **So please review, I would really like to know your thoughts about this chapter!**

 **Ciao!**

 **P.S. I'll try to update each week on Wednesdays. I only updated on a Tuesday this week because I missed last week. So I'll hopefully see you guys next week! :D**


	3. Are You Scared?

**Disclaimer: I have now realized that I don't, and never will, own Fairy Tail. It all belongs to Hiro Mashima, THE BIGGEST TROLL IN THE UNIVERSE!**

 **Also, ignore any mistakes. I'll fix the later. Also, NOTHING inappropriate happens in this chapter, so stay calm when you get to a certain part! Aaaand, don't forget to review after reading! :)**

 **Enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Where are you Lucy?"

Placing a hand over her mouth, the blonde attempted to muffle her breathing when she heard the sound of footsteps right next to where she was hiding. His voice pierced through the quiet room like a knife, and Lucy couldn't help but start shaking when she felt Natsu stop next to her hiding spot.

"No matter where you hide," he said, his voice deeper than normal, " _I'll find you_."

The girl squeaked loudly when blinding light flooded into the cabinet and a hand grabbed her arm. Natsu stared at her with a boyish grin, eyes wide with the pleasure of having been able to find her so soon.

Groaning, Lucy crawled out of her hiding spot in frustration. This was already the fifth time that he found her in what felt like under two minutes!

"Come on!" Lucy huffed, crossing her arms across her chest, "This is the fifth time! Do you have super hearing or something?"

The male in front of her was about to respond when Virgo burst through the room. "Princess! Is everything alright?" she asked worriedly, forehead wrinkled in concern.

Dusting her jeans from invisible dust, Lucy reassured, "It's okay, Virgo! Natsu just scared me, is all."

Relaxing, Virgo straightened her posture and bowed in respect, however, once she took a look around the room, she saw that they were the only people in the room.

"Sorry if I ask, Princess, but where is this Natsu? You say he scared you, but I don't see any sign of him," she inquired, tilting her head in confusion.

"Umm," Lucy frowned, brows furrowed from the question, "He's right next to you, Virgo."

The maid turned her head to both sides, but didn't see a single human other than the blonde in front of her. "Are you sure, Princess?" she asked.

Tilting her head, the little girl stared at the maid in confusion. Glancing back at the pink-haired boy next to Virgo, she saw that he was shaking his head, as if to tell her to drop it. His arms were crossed against his chest with a bored expression, almost as if urging her to hurry up to continue their game.

Looking back towards the maid, Lucy simply smiled, "It's okay! Your eyesight might not be at its best today!" Clasping her hands behind her, the blonde walked past the maid, making sure that Natsu was following her.

Before they left the room, Lucy heard Virgo respond quietly, "As you say, Princess."

* * *

After a few more games of hide-and-seek, with Natsu always managing to find Lucy and Lucy failing at finding him after almost thirty minutes before giving up, the two decided to hang out in the blonde's room.

It was already dark outside, and Lucy was supposed to have already been asleep, but she decided to stay awake talking with Natsu.

She left the room dark so as not to rise suspicions from the maids if they passed by her room and saw light shining through the cracks of her door. The two talked quietly, the sound of rustling leaves occasionally filling the quiet atmosphere for a few seconds when conversation died down, only to be drowned out by their voices.

"How come Virgo couldn't see you?" the blond girl asked after a while.

Natsu's green eyes pierced through the darkness, almost glowing as he stared at her when she spoke. His face was shadowed under the light of the moon, adding to the way his face look almost predatorily at her.

"I don't know," he answered, shrugging soon after.

Annoyed at his lack of a firm answer, she glared at him, "You didn't answer my question, Natsu."

Her glared softened and she shifted uncomfortably when he glared back at her. Lucy pursed her lips as the silence between them became overwhelming. His gaze kept her from looking away, and everything around him started to darken, almost as if disappearing.

He stood up, eyes still locked with her, and he slowly walked up to her. His eyes flashed dangerously, but Lucy held her ground. As soon as he was in front of her, he leaned forward, caging her between his arms on the bed.

His face was undeniably close, and the blonde leaned away to put some distance between them, but he only came closer. Lucy noticed how she could feel his hot breath blow softly against her skin, and she trembled when his nose touched hers as he leaned in even more.

She continued to tilt her body away from him, but he continued to follow. She was so concentrated on how close his body was to hers that she didn't notice that there was no more room to move away until her back hit the soft covers of her bed.

Her hair was splayed everywhere, hands raised up to cover her face. The bed creaked when she felt Natsu completely climbing over her, and she sunk with the mattress from his added weight.

Peeking through her fingers, she saw his glowing eyes still staring at her, "What are you doing?"

Annoyance oozed out of her question, regaining her confidence again as the seconds passed. She was still peeved that he hasn't answered her question.

"Why couldn't Virgo see you?" she asked once again, but her face was still covered with her hands. His body heat was getting unbearable, and Lucy felt her body starting to sweat underneath the covers.

Warm hands grabbed her own and pulled them away from her face, pinning them next to her head, preventing her from escaping.

His eyes were half-lidded, and his face moved closer to hers. When his nose touched her nose, she moved her head away from him, causing his nose to graze on her cheek. He moved his head to her neck, and Lucy clenched her hands when she felt his breath tickle her sensitive skin.

"W-what are you d-doing?" she asked weakly, trembling underneath him as he pressed his body onto hers. She closed her eyes tightly when she felt his lips softly brush against her heated skin. Her legs squeezed his waist in an attempt to stop him from lowering even more.

Despite feeling terrified of what can happen if she doesn't say anything, Lucy couldn't find her voice at the moment to scream loud enough for anybody to hear.

"You're scared of me," Natsu whispered against her neck before placing his head on her chest. Her breathing caused his head to move with the rising and falling of her chest. Her heart slowed down when he didn't move anymore.

The hands on her wrists loosened after he squeezed them softly before letting them go. Natsu's hands slowly went down to rest on either side of her head and the blonde's legs was in between the older male's own pair of legs. His whole body shifted down to get more comfortable, and the pink-haired boy reached up once again to tug on one of Lucy's arms.

"I would never forgive myself if I ever hurt you," he continued, and the young girl felt her heart squeeze at the emotions that poured out of his voice. "I don't want anything bad happen to you in any way."

"I'll never hurt you," he gently grabbed her hand and kissed it, "I promise."

His lips were completely cold.

* * *

"Oh my gosh!" a blue-haired girl gasped, "I've always wanted to read that book! You're so lucky!"

Lucy lifted her gaze from her book to stare at the excited girl in front of her. She was one of her many classmates, known for being a bookworm.

The girl was also known for talking to herself, though Lucy couldn't understand why.

"Yeah," the blonde responded slowly, unsure as to what to say, "It's really good."

"What's your name?" the girl asked as she leaned across the lunch table to get closer.

Leaning away a little, she answered, "Lucy. Yours?"

"I'm Levy!" she exclaimed, "Nice to meet you! It's so hard to meet people who actually read!"

"You have a pretty name," Lucy said quietly, looking down at her book. She wasn't expecting the blue-haired girl to hear her, but the girl apparently had super hearing.

"Thanks!" Levy blushed, smiling softly before grabbing the blonde's wrist, "Hey, how 'bout you sit with me? We can talk about books we've read before!"

Eyes wide, Lucy stumbled as the short girl dragged her to a table with a few people already sitting there.

"Hey guys!" the blue-haired girl said, causing everyone on the table to turn their heads to face the two girls.

They all answered back to Levy, and the girl went to sit beside a pretty red-haired girl. Lucy stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

It had been a long time since she sat with a group of people during lunch.

Levy seemed to have noticed her discomfort because she immediately gestured to another seat next to her with a smile.

Quickly walking with her gaze down, book still in hand, Lucy quietly sat next to her, fidgeting when she felt eyes on her.

"This is Lucy!" Levy introduced, "And she knows how to read!"

"Oi! We know how to read!" a boy with long black hair with a pierced ear said, lips pulled down in a frown. His arms were crossed, and Lucy noticed that his eyes were red, an eye color so unusual to the blonde.

"Yeah, barely," Levy retorted, a small smile growing on her lips, though she tried to hide it.

"Whatever," he huffed, but a sly smirk made its way to his lips, "Shorty."

Gasping, the blue-haired girl started to argue with the boy, no longer composed as she was before.

"My name's Erza," the girl with red hair said, holding out her hand with a small smile. Lucy took her hand and shook it, though she was still nervous.

"Lucy," the blonde said, even though she knew that the girl already knew. However, Lucy was busy noticing that Erza's hand felt like Natsu's whenever she held them.

Almost as if she was holding thin air.

It wasn't cold however, so the blonde dismissed it completely.

Letting their hands go, Erza started to introduce the other people sitting with them.

"He's Gray," she pointed to a black-haired boy, who simply waved at them before continuing with his food, "The girl next to him is Juvia, and the boy with the piercing is Gajeel."

"Hi," Lucy waved shyly, cringing when the girl next to Gray glared at her before pressing her body closer to the boy.

"Lucy," she heard Erza say, and she turned to the red-haired girl, "I hope we can be great friends."

Smiling, Lucy felt her heart skip a beat at the words, and Gray, Juvia and Gajeel turned to look at her, "Yeah, I hope so too!"

And the cafeteria grew cold.

* * *

 **Soooo, I guess you can throw stuff at me? I'm so sorry! I was meaning to update, but sooooo many things has been happening lately, and I just can't keep up! Well, this chapter's short, and I'm sorry about that, but now the fun can begin!**

 **And the gang has been introduced! Yaaaaaaayyy!**

 **Aww man, I'm so excited! But I'm guessing you guys aren't. But it's okay! :) Anyway, I'll hopefully update the next chapter sooner, and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Also, the part where Natsu got on top of Lucy, nothing happened, I swear! For goodness sakes, she's only 10! Natsu only wanted to see if Lucy was actually afraid of him, that's it, so get your minds out of the gutter! Geez…**

 **Well, here are my responses to your reviews!**

 **StellaHeartfilia: Hehe, or is he? But I'm glad you love this story, and teenage years are gonna be here soon.**

 **Celestialite: Hmmmmmmmm, I don't knoooooowww. :3**

 **DIGIKO12: Oh yes, the two will forever stay together… Hehehehehehe.**

 **Anonymous Person: Well, I'm glad you knew! :)**

 **NoraRabbit: Who knows? Only for you to find out, and for me to know.**

 **iezzahismail: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! :) Thanks though!**

 **Thanks you all who reviewed, favorite, and followed, I really appreciate it! And please remember to review, it would mean the world to me, and I hope you guys have a wonderful day! :)**


	4. News

**Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima. 'Nuff said.**

* * *

Natsu had been acting strangely these past few days.

It started soon after she told him about her new friends. After she mentioned the word 'friends', his usual grin fell and his eyes flashed with anger.

He quickly covered it though with a forced smile and had squeezed her hands tightly, saying that he was happy for her.

Though she wanted to question his odd response, she didn't want to annoy him with her questions when he so obviously was trying to avoid her questioning gaze.

She dropped it and only squeezed his hands back, saying that he was her best friend and that he had nothing to worry about.

Now, Lucy kinda wished that she never mentioned a thing to the pink-haired male.

He was being a bit too…touchy touchy recently.

The first thing he did scared the living daylights out of the poor blonde.

He had apparently climbed through her window after she hung out with him at the park.

Though she wasn't complaining, she didn't exactly want to die from a heart attack at the tender age of ten. He soon apologized, but Lucy told him to just ask her if he wanted to hang out over at her house without having to sneak in.

It was soon forgotten, but the blonde couldn't exactly understand how he got to her house before her. The only answer she could think of was that he had sprinted to her house, but Natsu never confirmed anything.

He was such a pooper sometimes, but he was still cool.

And a bit of a weirdo as well.

"Oi! I ain't the weirdo, you are! And I'm not a pooper either, I'm the life of the party!" was his comeback, but Lucy simply giggled at his childish response.

Then after that, he started to "accidently" brush his hand with hers, always startling her from whatever she was doing.

And he would smile each time.

Of course, as time passed, he stopped being subtle and started to simply grab her hand out of nowhere, and soon enough he began to hug her whenever they were alone.

Though she appreciated the physical contact, it still made her feel uncomfortable despite having known the pink-haired male for five years.

He always seemed pissed whenever she pushed him away if he was snuggling too much for her liking, but never did he voice his anger, something Lucy was extremely grateful for.

Unfortunately for the blonde, he never relented, and he continued with his snuggle fest whenever he could.

Like now, for example.

His face was buried in her shirt where her belly was, and Lucy could feel his warm breath pass through her shirt and warm her belly. His arms were wrapped around her waist, fingers digging into her back as if afraid she would leave.

She didn't mind being like this with Natsu. It almost made her feel like a mother soothing her small child.

It reminded her of when she would do the exact same thing with her own mother.

Fingers tightened on her shirt when she shifted slightly. Natsu's arms tensed around her and he buried his face into her stomach even more.

"Natsu," Lucy nudged his head away, only for him to push against her hand and managed to press his head into her belly again. "Natsu, please."

"I don't wanna," was his muffled response, "Just stay here."

Sighing, the blonde combed her fingers into his soft hair. "What's wrong, Natsu?" she asked, and the male froze before relaxing when she continued petting his hair, "You've been acting weird lately."

Natsu curled up like a cat, purring in content when her fingers touched the nape of his neck. Giggling, Lucy lifted her arms to let the pink-haired male turn his body around on her lap to look at her face from below.

She resumed on petting him, playing with his bangs and occasionally ruffling his hair. Natsu simply closed his eyes, a smile etched across his face as the warm light of the sun shined through the window.

Looking out the window, Lucy watched as the tree beside the house rustled as a breeze temporarily disturbed the stillness of the leaves. The sun was already starting to set, the soft hue of orange visible from where she was.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she whispered, admiring the way the sun shined through the leaves of the tree. She felt Natsu's head shift underneath her hands to stare out the window as well.

"Very," was his only response as he took one of her hands. He lifted one of his own and aligned it with hers.

Lucy stared in confusion at his actions, but said nothing.

Natsu seemed to have sensed her questioning gaze that was directed towards him because he said, "You have small hands."

Pulling it away quickly, Lucy watched as the male took his time taking in her appearance, a smile slowly forming on his lips. Once his eyes reached hers, he sent her a huge grin; eyes squinted in their usual way as he flashed his teeth.

"But they're bigger than they were five years ago!"

Brows furrowed, Lucy stared at her hands, "Really? I thought they were the same size."

Shaking his head, which was still on her lap, he stared up at her with bright eyes, "Nope! Definitely bigger! Five years ago, they were the size of peanuts!"

The blonde's eyes twitched in irritation, lifting a fist into the air before letting it drop directly onto Natsu's face.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"That was insulting!"

"But it's true!"

"Still, you don't say that you jerk!"

"OW!"

* * *

"Hey Levy!" Lucy sat placed her notebook on the table and dropped her backpack onto the floor before taking the spot next to her blue-haired friend.

"Hi!" she greeted back, looking up from her book that she was reading. "You heard about what happened this morning?"

Sending her a confused look, the blonde took out her lunch from her bag and opened it. Taking out a sandwich, Lucy replied, "No. I usually don't listen to the news."

"What're you guys talking about?"

Glancing up, both girls saw that the rest of the gang arrived. Apparently, Gray, Erza, Juvia, and Gajeel had the same class before lunch, meaning that they all came together during lunch period.

"I was asking Lucy if she heard about the news of a girl committing suicide last night," Levy explained, and everyone wore shocked expressions as they took in her words.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked as he and the rest sat down in their usual spots. "How'd they find out about that?"

Levy placed a bookmark in her book and closed it before putting it down on the table.

"Well, she was in her room while her brother was in his own room and her older sister was making dinner," Levy made hand motions that usual had Lucy teasing her, but the blonde knew it was the wrong time to joke around.

"Their parents were away for work, and since their oldest daughter is eighteen, they saw no problem with leaving them alone for a few days," the blonde furrowed her brows as her friend continued, "So last night, the girl came out of her room after being there for a few hours to go to the kitchen, and her sister said that she looked like she was crying."

"She ignored her sister's questions and just grabbed the knife her older sister was using to cut some vegetables, and…well," Levy tugged at her hair, "she stabbed herself."

Lucy's eyes widened, "Wait, for no reason?"

"Well," Erza turned to face the shocked blonde, "Like Levy said, she was crying when she left the room."

The red-haired girl turned back and stroked her chin, "I wonder why she was crying…"

"The thing is though," Levy continued, and all eyes shifted to her again, "When she grabbed the knife, she said, 'I trust you'."

"After that, she stabbed herself in the neck, causing her to die instantly," Gray grimaced at the words, "And her brother and sister said that she started to behave strangely since the age of five."

"Supposedly, she had this imaginary friend, which she tended to blame every time she did something wrong," Lucy noticed that Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and even Juvia, paled at the words.

Levy wasn't paying attention to them and ran on, "They said this 'friend' was very influential in her life, and they think it has something to do with the reason why she killed herself."

Everyone stayed quiet, and the blonde noticed the fear on her friends' faces as the silence stretched on. She eyed them carefully, and Levy stared in confusion at the focused look on Lucy's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, and the blonde snapped out of it, but she gave one last glance at her friends before flashing a small smile at the blue-haired girl.

"Nothing's wrong!" she responded, and sent a questioning look at her other friends, Levy following her gaze this time.

"I'm just wondering if you guys are okay," Lucy said, tilting her head when Gajeel glared at her.

"We're fine," he answered for Gray, Erza, and Juvia, who were slowly coming back from wherever they were. "Just…surprised."

"Aren't we all?" asked Erza, staring at the table in thought.

"What was the girl's name?" Juvia questioned, her blue eyes shifting to Levy.

"Oooh, I think the first name was Lisanna?" Levy stroked her chin as she stared up at the ceiling, "I can't remember the last name though. Why?"

Shaking her head, the blue-haired girl sent her a small smile.

"Juvia was only curious."

* * *

It was already winter, and Lucy let out a puff of air through her lips. Her window fogged up, and she drew a smiley face as the fog gradually shrunk on the glass.

A thin layer of snow coated the streets and sidewalks, and the blonde couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the lights decorating different houses on her block.

It was already past bedtime, but Lucy wasn't tired at all. She just wanted to watch as small flakes of snow gently fall onto the streets, slowly covering more and more.

Pure white, a color she loved seeing during this time of year. She knew it was going to become brown after days passed due to people, cars, and animals stepping onto the snow.

It was something worth staying up for.

She saw a man walk down her street, and she cursed at him for ruining such beauty. The footprints left by that person caused everything to look unbalance. Now the layer of snow wasn't even, and it was all because of that man.

Now with her mood, ruined, Lucy removed her hands from the cold window and pulled the covers over her body, leaving her eyes out to peek from under.

Luckily, there will be no school the next day, so the blonde was excited to wake up the next morning. She wanted to build a snowman with Natsu now that there was snow.

She was sure her father wouldn't mind if she went to the park the next day.

Closing her eyes, Lucy let herself slip into a world of dreams where her mother was still alive, and Natsu always standing right beside her with his usual smile.

* * *

" _Don't."_

Golden hair danced with the wind, shining with the sun in the sky. Almost like golden silk, so precious, so rare.

Brown eyes, sparkling with life that would cause anyone envy. Innocence so pure it would make anyone shed a tear.

A smile so radiant, it could rival the sun's own light. So genuine that the world would want to see it again and again.

It was sinful to crave for it. Sinful for anything that would want to hurt her in any way.

Yet so…tantalizingly delicious.

Something so rare, something worthy to kill for. Something that can ruin even the strongest of friendships.

Her purity might as well be her own downfall.

And that made things even more interesting.

" _Please don't."_

* * *

 **Apparently, the total amount of words in this chapter is 2,016. Quite a coincidence, eh? Anyway, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR REVIEWS. LIKE OMG, 10 REVIEWS FOR LAST CHAPTER?! HOLY CRAP, I'M JUMPING IN HAPPINESS!**

 **I responded to everyone who had an account via PM, so now I'll answer guest reviews!**

 **Guest #1: I won't tell you! Mwuaahahahahahaha!**

 **Guest #2: Neither, but it's somewhere over there. You'll find out sooner or later, or you might have found out already, who knows?**

 **SURFER DOOD MAN: Umm, okay? As an English lover, I feel slightly insulted at the horrifying amount of grammatical mistakes there was in your review. But thanks anyway? :)**

 **Anyway, that's all for the guest reviews, and I really hope you guys like this chapter! I have no time to look over any mistakes, so just ignore them, as usual. And you see that button below? Well, I think it's lonely and needs some lovin', so make sure to press it and leave a review! It would mean to world to me!**


	5. iNSaNiTY

**Heeeeey, long time no see eh? Hehe, sorry 'bout the wait, but I was kinda busy with school. Luckily, I managed to squeeze this chapter out since I barely had time with school and my parents hogging the computer almost 24/7. Honestly, I'm surprised I managed to write this whole thing during finals. Well, anyway, thanks so much for the reviews, you guys don't even realize how happy I get when I read them! Also, the thing just below is not originally made by me. Just found it on google since it was kinda appropriate for this chapter…in a way.**

 **Anyway, enjoy!**

 _OoOoO_

 _Life asked Death,_

" _Why do people love me but hate you?"_

 _Death responded,_

" _Because you are a beautiful lie and I am a painful truth."_

 _OoOoO_

" _Together forever?"_

" _Yup!"_

" _Promise?"_

" _Promise."_

OoOoO

"Levy…"

The blue haired girl looked up from her food, in which she had just been poking at for the last five minutes, causing Lucy to go crazy from her friend's unusual behavior today.

"Yeah?" she mumbled quietly, eyes drifting back down to her food in disgust. It was mystery meat, and everyone at school knew not to eat such an abomination.

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, Lucy asked, "Something wrong?"

She immediately flinched, eyes squinting in pain as a hiss passed through her lips.

The rest of the gang watched them quietly, eyes piercing, almost as if looking into their souls. Gajeel especially seemed more focused on Levy.

"Levy?" Lucy looked at her with worried eyes and removed her hand from her friend's shoulder. "Did I hurt you?"

Offering a small smile, Levy picked up her head once again.

"Nah," she dismissed, "Just a bruise. I kinda bumped into a cabinet. Everything's fine."

Staring at her intently for a few more seconds, the blonde knew that her friend was lying, but if she didn't want to share anything yet, then Lucy would respect her privacy.

Turning back to her own food, Lucy happily ate the sandwich Virgo made for her this morning. However, Levy's depressing mood immediately erased all happy feelings inside her.

Something was definitely happening, and the girl didn't want to say what.

OoOoO

When she entered her room, Lucy wasn't surprised to see Natsu sitting on the carpeted floor.

"Natsu," she started, taking off her coat and hanging it on her chair so that she could quickly grab it the next day when she went to school, "What are you doing in my room?"

"You took too long to come to the park," he explained, quickly wrapping his arms around her thin waist and pulling her towards his chest.

Lucy gently pulled away, ignoring his pathetic whine.

"Sorry," was her simple response, sitting on her bed as she dragged her school bag with her. "Gotta do homework y'know."

With a grunt, she lifted the bag with her on the bed and opened the zipper. Sticking her hand inside, she searched for her folder that had her worksheet and a pencil.

She found her folder immediately, but Lucy was having trouble finding her pencil, and the blonde could feel agitation bubble up inside her as she searched throughout her whole bag but with no success.

She remembered putting the darn pencil here, she was sure of it!

Unfortunately, her concentration broke when she felt a cold hand place itself on hers.

Nearly jumping in fright, Lucy glanced up to Natsu, who was staring at her intently with his beautiful green eyes. However, the cold touch of his hand sent chills down her whole body as his unwavering gaze continued staring at her, almost as if he was trying to look into her soul.

He probablywas, and the simple thought made Lucy feel the slightest bit uneasy.

He opened his mouth, about to say something, but a knock on the blonde's door stopped him from uttering whatever he wanted to say.

"Princess?" a voice called out from the other side of the door, and Lucy scrambled off her bed, fixing her pleated uniform skirt, shooed Natsu away, a silent demand of hers for him to hide.

With a pout, the pink-haired male dropped to the floor and expertly crawled under the bed. Luckily, the bed sheets made it difficult for anyone to see him.

Rolling her eyes, the small girl opened her door with a tired smile on her face.

"Didn't I tell you to stop calling me that?" asked the blonde, a bit annoyed that Virgo kept calling her such a name despite the many times Lucy told her not to.

"Sorry, Princess," said the pinkette, bowing in response, "But dinner is served."

This seemed to catch the blonde's full attention, eyes now wide and sparkling with hope.

"Will Papa be eating with me?" she asked eagerly, hands clasped as she stared at the maid.

Virgo's expressionless face wavered for a fraction of a second, lips falling to a small frown before returning to the way it almost always is.

"I am very sorry, but your father is extremely busy with paperwork and has decided to eat in his office," apologized the maid, bowing once more in habit before straightening herself.

The young girl's dazzling smile lost its shine, her lips sealed into a straight line and eyes downcast, averting her gaze from Virgo to hide her disappointment.

"A-ah, it's okay," she whispered, turning away and walking towards her bed.

"Would you like it if I brought your dinner to your room?" asked the pinkette, and her only response was a small "yes" from the girl, who was already sprawled on her soft bed with her school bag next to her.

Releasing a small sigh, Virgo bowed out of habit and exited the room quietly, quickly walking to the kitchen to bring the blonde her food.

Silence ensued in the large bedroom, neither Natsu nor Lucy moving from where they were.

The clock in the room ticked on, loud enough to be heard throughout her whole room. Shadows seemed to move on the ceiling from where the blonde was lying. The sound of rustling leaves was faint and the jets of a plane flying overhead rumbled for a few seconds.

"Your dad sucks."

A pained scoff passed through Lucy's lips, tears welling in her eyes. "Yeah," she murmured, closing her eyes to stop herself from crying, "He really does."

They sat in silence once more, and Lucy really appreciated that Natsu left her alone for the moment. She just needed to calm herself down first.

Virgo came soon after with the blonde's food in hand and, after placing it on her desk that was littered with different things, left.

The sky darkened as the sun slowly set, leaving for the time being to greet other people in the world, but Lucy didn't want it to go.

She shouldn't even be surprised anymore. It was normal anyway. She's supposed to be used to it by now.

But she wasn't. And she hated herself for that.

She was always such a weak person, getting emotional for no reason. She knew her dad was busy, so there was no room for complaint. She had a wonderful house with wonderful maids who she could talk to whenever Natsu wasn't there to drive away the loneliness that would settle on her when things like this happened.

But still…

It wasn't fair.

Why couldn't her father just stop working for once and spend one day with her. Only _one_ day! Nothing more, nothing less.

The slight sound of her floor creaking reached the blonde girl's ears, causing her to turn her head to the direction of the source.

It was Natsu, who was slowly walking towards her, his eyes glowing ever so faintly in the slightly dark room.

"You okay?" he asked, and Lucy didn't even question him as to why he was still in her room so late at night.

"Yeah," she slowly blinked when he kneeled by her bed. "Aren't you supposed to go home though?"

A dark look appeared on his face, his pupils shrunk into slits, almost like a cat.

"Unless," the blonde gulped, nervous from the look he gave her. "You want to stay tonight?"

"Really?" Natsu asked, perking up at her offer.

"Yup!" the girl smiled, hiding the sense of uneasiness, the look on his face from before honestly disturbed her, but she convinced herself that everything was fine.

OoOoO

"What did I tell you, bitch!"

The sound of flesh hitting flesh seemed to echo through the house.

Droplets of heavy rain pounded on the window as lightning flashed through the night sky.

Seconds passed when a clap of thunder boomed through the air.

"STOP!"

The man turned away from the woman, who was on the floor while holding her bruising cheek.

The little girl sobbed when the man approached her, glad that she was able to distract him, even for a little while.

"Please don't hurt Mommy," she whimpered, curling into herself when her stepfather grabbed her neck, lifting her up from the ground with ease.

Her tiny hands desperately clawed at his arm, lungs starting to burn from the lack of oxygen.

His face was so close to hers that she could smell the liquor in his breath. Even in the dark she could see his wild, bloodshot eyes stare into hers.

"And what makes you think I would listen to you?" he slurred, hand tighten just a bit more. "You're just a crazy slut who has nothing better to do but play with her imaginary friend."

He threw her to the ground, laughing when she cried out in pain.

Her head pounded when it collided with the kitchen tiles.

"Why don't you just sit there and watch like the good girl you're supposed to be," he said, walking towards her mother, who was watching in horror as he came closer.

Grabbing her hair, the man forced the woman onto the floor and spread apart her legs.

The small girl covered her ears, trying her best to drown out her mother's muffled screams as thunder boomed a second time and the rain relentlessly pounded on the windows.

Shadows from outside moved as strong gusts of wind whistled outside. The sound of wind chimes played almost eerily, stopping once the wind calmed.

"You're okay, you're okay," she chanted, rocking herself back and forth with her eyes tightly closed in an attempt to calm herself.

"Nothing will hurt you. Nothing can touch you," she whispered, shaking her head and pressing her hands even more against her ears when the sound of her stepfather's laugh somehow reached her ears.

Warm hands placed themselves on her head, fingers going through her hair to comfort her.

"Gajeel…"

She looked up at his glowing red eyes, everything around them nonexistent as she only focused on him, just like the other times this had happened.

"Nothin' is gonna happen," he reassured, wiping the tears that were falling down her face.

"Nothing is going to happen," she repeated, clinging onto his words.

Her mother's screams ended, and the silhouette of her stepfather passed her, leaving she, Gajeel, and her mother in the kitchen.

"Everything's fine."

She knew that with Gajeel, she was going to be fine.

OoOoO

" _Poor little girl…"_

Voices whispered around her and chills traveled up her spine. Hands ghosted over her arms and face, freezing fingers burning her face.

She felt surrounded, almost claustrophobic. All she saw was pitch black, but she somehow saw shadows pass over her.

" _Rejected…like the rest of us,"_ the voices rasped, as if one single person.

She started feeling pressure on her wrists and ankles, the same cold hands tugging on her limbs softly before she started to feel sharp nails scratch her pale skin.

She wanted to scream, but no matter how hard she tried, nothing came out.

" _Don't worry~"_ they cooed, cackling as they pulled on her hair.

She really, _really_ wanted to run.

" _We'll take good care of you."_

Now her clothes were being ripped apart by clawing hands. The sound of shackles echoed through the dark, empty place.

Screeches entered her ears when something suddenly grabbed her by the throat.

" _We'll make sure of it."_

"Please…" she choked out, throat dry as tears streamed down her face. "I don't want to go."

Red dots for eyes appeared before her, staring into her own as if searching for something. A sharp row of teeth soon appeared underneath them, shining so brightly that Lucy could see its lips curled up in a smile.

" _You are a part of us after all,"_ the voices continued, never relenting.

" _And promises are never meant to be broken,"_ they hissed in her ear, the feeling of their cold breaths on her skin.

"No…" she whimpered and closed her eyes, trembling as the thing's hand on her throat loosened and backed away from her. The voices moved farther away, and the feeling of being surrounded slowly vanished.

After everything was gone, she slowly opened one eye to see that she was in her room, on her bed.

Thunder boomed through the night and she jumped in fright. Placing a hand over where her heart was beating violently, she let out a sigh.

Looking around, she realized that Natsu wasn't in her room anymore.

 _Must have gone back home_ , she thought, slowly laying back down on her bed.

Turning on her side, she stared into her dark, vast room. She could see the silhouettes of her cabinets and desk, as well as her bag, which was lying against her chair.

She took in one last deep breath, washing away all the fear she had from the dream.

 _It's just a dream,_ she assured herself, eyes closing as sleep took over once again.

OoOo

" _You promised!"_

" _I know, but I can-"_

" _Promises are never meant to be broken!"_

" _By us, no."_

" _Then why-"_

" _By death, yes."_

 _OoOoO_

 **YES, PLOT! Oh, such tasty plot. Mmmmm~**

 **Anyway, hoped you enjoyed this chapter, and I would really appreciate it if you left a review. They really help me keep motivated!**

 **Sooooo, hopefully, I'll have another chapter out soon if life doesn't decide to be a dick to me and my parents stay away from my laptop for once. Also, sorry for any mistakes I might have made!**

 **Have a nice day! :)**


	6. I'll Sleep When I Am Dead

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fairy Tail. I never will, so there's no point in trying… It all belongs to Hiro Mashima (except this story, of course), so yeah.**

 **Hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Not again," she cried out shakily, covering her ears like she always did every time this happened. "Please make it stop!"

Life truly was cruel to her.

She didn't – _doesn't_ – deserve this. What had she done to make the world hate her, enough to make her go through this nearly every night.

She only wanted to be happy. That was her wish when she found a tiny ladybug on the grass during her father's funeral.

The only red in the vast sea of black suits and dresses. Even the sky was gray, much to her bitter amusement. The sounds of throaty sobs and snotty noses filled the otherwise empty void of silence.

But she blocked all the noise that day. She could only stare at the black coffin as static filled her ears, the noise as jumbled as her own thoughts.

So after her wish, she only hoped that things would get better soon.

And they did, even if for a little while.

She met Gajeel for the first time at school.

Though she didn't talk to him much in the beginning, he encouraged her to see that despite her father's death, she could still live a life of happiness. Despite the hollow feeling in her chest, she pushed herself to do better in school, to make new friends, to be outgoing.

Soon after, her mother had met this nice man, and Levy herself had thought he was decent enough. Not her father, but a good replacement, though nobody could replace the bottomless pit of emptiness that was left behind after his death.

But still, decent.

And she believed that maybe everything was going to be all right. Her mother was smiling more, the house seemed slightly warmer, and Levy was doing great in school.

Of course, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

She remembers when the arguments had started. Levy would hear their arguments through the walls and doors, hoping that they would resolve quickly so that everything could go back to normal again.

He would call her mother worthless, a whore, a thing that was only useful for a good fuck.

She and her mother would usually sleep together on nights when he was being particularly nasty. Her mother would soothe the young girl and tell her everything was okay.

And they managed to continue living without any problems. The insults became worse over time, sometimes directed to the innocent girl, but she took it with no problem.

She wouldn't show him how his words affected her as the days passed by.

But she knew they did.

She started falling a bit behind class, distracted by the sound of muffled screams in her mother's bedroom instead of doing her homework or studying for a test.

Her friends started to drift away from her when she started to hang out with Gajeel more than before. She had always talked to him, but it was usually a nod from the boy and a small smile with a shy wave of the hand as their eyes occasionally met on the playground.

Her friends would give her strange looks though, so she would stop almost immediately. That didn't stop her from looking back, but was only rewarded with an empty space where he was once standing.

She would brush it off as one of his weird habits. Even before, when they were closer and talked to each other more often, he would occasionally vanish out of thin air.

Well, he didn't vanish, he just wasn't there anymore if she got distracted by other people coming over to talk to the little girl.

But the day when Levy saw her mother being thrown across the room as she screamed for the horror to stop, the girl knew that the world really hated her.

After that, she abandoned her other friends and walked alongside Gajeel. People started calling her Crazy Levy, mocking and laughing at her whenever she talked with Gajeel.

She didn't care though. She was going through worse. She knew that she only needed Gajeel to be able to go through life.

And honestly, she started to get better. Gajeel was always there when she was forced to watch as her stepfather punched her dear mother, giving her new bruises and more cuts all over her body.

She found something to look forward to whenever she left her house and went to school. Just being around Gajeel soothed her and made her forget about everything else.

Unfortunately, the moment Levy saw her mother being raped on the dirty floor one day after coming back from school, she and her mother were never the same again.

The girl's mother would do her best in avoiding Levy's eyes whenever they passed by each other. They no longer slept together in the same bed on especially bad days.

Her mother's touch was nonexistent and Levy felt herself spiraling into a dark abyss as depression slowly creeped into her soul.

She didn't let it consume her completely. Gajeel made sure of that, making sure to tell her that she was going to be okay.

She met Gray and Erza around that time. Gajeel introduced them to her, and the three of them clicked instantly.

Juvia appeared a year after.

Levy had seen Gray standing with another blue haired girl, who seemed to be looking at him with a loving gaze. The boy introduced them to each other and soon enough, their group of four turned into the group of five.

People still sent her strange looks, but she wasn't fazed at all. She didn't care because all she needed were her friends.

And a few months after that, Levy had the courage to invite Lucy, the girl who always sat by herself during lunch constantly reading, to join her group of friends.

And oh, she could never feel happier being with all her friends. Lucy was the only person who ever talked to the blue haired girl's friends and never gave her strange looks when she talked with the rest of the group.

Levy was sure that nothing could get worse, but she once again got her hopes up.

Her stepfather would hit not only her mother, but also throw a few punches towards the young girl as well. She would get fresh bruises everyday, trying her best to hide the bigger ones on her arms or legs.

Levy would steal her mother's makeup when necessary.

Gajeel was the only one who knew, but Levy was sure that the others caught on her façade over time.

Every time they asked her if she was okay, she would brush it off and tell them that nothing was wrong.

And this continued on until she put an end to everything on her sixteenth year.

* * *

Waking with a scream, Lucy shivered as a familiar cold settled onto her. The room was dark as always, the same tree swaying with the violent wind outside. The clock on the wall ticked with each second, filling her with dread as cold sweat formed on her skin.

Static filled the air, its sound invading her ears and making it seem like she was in an empty space. She wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real.

Wasn't sure if what she was _hearing_ was real.

" _He's coming for yooouuu,"_ they sang in her ear, cackling at the shuddering gasps she let out when she felt what seemed like lips brush against her ear.

Thunder suddenly boomed through the air, and the teenager let out a terrified scream, covering her ears to block it out.

 _Block out the thunder, block out the voices._

They had haunted her throughout these six years, louder during the night, making her wake up from the nightmares of being dragged to the one with red eyes and wide smile filled with rows of sharp teeth stained with dark, fresh blood.

She never got to see the face of the owner of those eyes because she would manage to break free from the hands that grabbed at her and would run until she let out a piercing scream as mangled faces appeared before her, eyes not present in their sockets and skin peeling off of their hands and arms as they reached out for her with manic smiles directed towards her.

And that was when she would wake.

She had awoken from the same dream every night for six years. There was never a night where she wouldn't scream and one of her maids wouldn't run to her room in panic and fear.

They would shake her when she wouldn't answer their questions. The voices would keep whispering in her ear, saying that she will be one of them, doomed and forgotten.

" _Are you scared, little girl?"_

She shook her head violently, blonde locks tickling her face as tears travelled down her cheeks and falling heavily onto her sheets, leaving dark splotches. Her body spasmed as chills ran down her back, the rain pounding harder on the window beside her as she felt a finger trace her spine.

"I'm not, I'm not, I'm _not_!" she rasped out, willing the voices to just _leave_ already. They only intensified, still clawing at her skin with their nails, trying to pry her hands away from her ears.

She didn't even hear the pounding of feet running down the hall towards her room, too concentrated in trying to block the voices out to pay attention to everything else.

"Don't listen to them."

Her eyes snapped open, only to come face to face with Natsu. His eyes were glowing a blood red, his face slightly shadowed from his hair, but she didn't care.

"They were the unlucky ones," he calmly said, carefully grabbing her wrists and pulling her hands away from her ears. "Trust me."

She heard furious knocks on her door, but she never looked away from his gaze.

His mouth was stained with something, and his fingers wrapped around her wrists looked like claws. His skin was hot and rough against hers this time, almost burning. She saw something pointed stick out of his hair, but she couldn't tell in the dark.

" _Do you feel safe with that monster?"_ they hissed, and Lucy saw shadows behind Natsu's head, growing larger with each passing second. His grip tightened, and she was sure she would have bruises in the morning.

"You're _hurting_ me," she whimpered, trying to pull her wrists away, but his hold on her was too tight. His eyes darkened considerably, teeth now bared as he loosened his hold on her.

"Lucy," he said calmly, hands releasing her wrists to slowly cup her face, "I could never hurt you. You mean too much to me."

He smiled now, the shadows that were creeping closer behind him were retreating to where they came from. His face was no longer stained with anything, and the prickling of his nails on her face was gone in an instant.

" _Lucy!"_

The blonde tilted her head, brows furrowed as a muffled voice tried to reach her ears. All she could see were his glowing green eyes staring intently at her.

"Open the door right now!"

"Natsu…" she murmured, her cold hand reaching up to touch his cheek, and upon contact, he felt so warm.

So very warm.

She could hear the slow beat of her heart, pumping with the seconds as she stared into his captivating eyes. The room darkened as she was completely focused on the man in front of her.

"How…?" she began, brows furrowed as questions flew in her mind. "How could you hear them?"

"It doesn't matter," he responded quickly, pulling her face closer to his to place his forehead on hers. It was hot, comforting her as she closed her eyes to let the warmth seep into her skin.

There was a pleasant hum in her ears, the noise from outside just a whisper compared to the sound of a woman's voice. She could smell grass, feel a hint of a breeze brush against her exposed skin, and a hand lovingly stroking her head.

Her eyes snapped open to see herself surrounded by tall grass that swayed with the wind around her. Natsu stared into her eyes, a small smile graced on his face. She could see small, faint freckles on the bridge of his nose, giving him an almost boyish look.

He opened his mouth, eyes never wavering, "There's no need to worry."

Tilting her head, her brows furrowed in confusion. The scenery changed, the sun no longer shining on them. It was like someone had shut the lights off and world turned dark. There was no sound other than the growing volume of static in her ears again.

But his eyes still glowed. They pierced through the dark and into her soul. Her chest felt heavy, breathing becoming frantic when she saw red beady eyes staring at her from behind him.

"N-Natsu?" she stuttered as his hands slid down, his thumb slowly running over her lips, pressing gently to pull down the bottom lip before releasing. "W-What's goi-MPH!"

Hands clamped over mouth and pulled her away from his hold. Her neck strained against the pulling, but it didn't really matter anyway. Her body was being pulled into the black abyss.

Claws dug into her skin as she tried to struggle free. It wasn't long until she heard splashing and then felt her ears fill with water. Everything was muffled.

Her screams.

Their taunts.

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out of her mouth except for small air bubbles.

"Lu…"

"Wak… u…!"

Her eyes were closing, her limited supply of air running out. Her clothes were in shreds, and pieces of her pajamas were floating above her as she was pulled deeper.

She tried to call for Natsu, but her screams were muffled and the hands once again sealed her mouth shut. Her movements slowed, and every time she tried to pull away, they were weak attempts that did nothing to throw off the hands.

"Lucy…" she heard whispered in her ear, eyes closed as she started fading into unconsciousness. "I'll protect you."

The multitude of hands finally released her, but it was too late. She was too deep and too weak to even try to swim back to the surface.

However, she felt something warm touch her cheek before the voice entered her ears again for a final time.

"I _promise_."

* * *

" _You're really cold…"_

 _A bitter laugh echoed through the room._

" _And you're really warm…"_

* * *

 **A/N: Hehehehehehe, sooooo, what's uuuuuuup peeps? It's been a while. I know. And I'm sorry, but it's really hard to write with stupid writer's block. But hey, managed to write a chapter! Yaaaaaayyy!**

 **Anyway, thank you to everybody who took their time to review! I really appreciate them, they make me so happy! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you want to you could follow my Tumblr (don't have to) to talk to me or whatever, or you could just PM if you want to chat or whatever.**

 **Gosh, I just sound tsundere there. ANYWAY, if you want, you could read my other story "Under Cold Skin" (also NaLu) in the meantime.**

 **So, thanks for reading, and I'll hopefully see you soon!**


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